A wacker plate is usually petrol or diesel powered and allows layers of material to be compacted down until closely knitted and firm, to enable a good solid foundation for things such as patio’s, paths, driveways and even for turf laying.

The operator controls the plate by guiding it into the desired direction as it vibrates along the surface until all of the ground is firm and level.

Here, take a look at this quick video to see what it looks like when using a Wacker plate.

Depending on the engine power output (measured in horsepower (or hp)), the machine can compact the material down to various depths (for example typically 30cm deep).

If you are creating patios or paths around a property then you don’t necessarily need the biggest and best wacker plate there is out there (as generally it is just human traffic on them, and not too heavy), but for driveways and public highways, there is a need for better machinery than can compact quickly and down to decent depths.

These situations you will often see all manner of vehicles upon therm from cars and HGV vehicles, so they need to be absolutely built on solid foundations. You’ll also need something that will compact the ground reliably.

Problems with wacker plates

Wacker plates are by nature very heavy. They need to be. So often, two people are needed to move them in position (although some models do come with wheels that help manouvre the plate from your vehicle to the site).

They vibrate. It’s what they do. This means fixings and nuts can come loose so it is commonly advised to apply a nut lock / thread lock paste to the nuts to help stop them rattling loose.

Maintenance issues(things that need doing regularly) can be overlooked if the machine is not well cared for. Daily checks, daily cleaning, removal of dirt from your machine helps you to spot any issues such as nuts working loose, etc.

Incorrect use of the plate by the operator can cause problems if it is not used in the designed manner – in other words you would be shortening the life of your expensive machine.

So, that out of the way, I want to show what we have found.

The top 10 best wacker plates for sale.

How did we reach these findings?

Simple. We tested them, either by ourselves, or we enlisted the help of companies who use wackers on a regular basis. We sent out units for them to use for a month and then asked for their feedback.

Initially we sifted through many different plate compactor units and narrowed things down to what we scored as being the “very best whacker plate” of all of them, based on facts.

We tested on:

Depth of compaction

Reliability

How easy it was to manouvre the machine

Horsepower

and created an overall score you can trust.

Our Best Wacker Plate Recommendation:

Best Plate Compactor For The Money:

Every wacker plate within this top 10 is “great” and you could easily pick any one of them however there is one that edged it for us. That one is the:

It comes with a carrying trolley to help move it from your vehicle to the site without injuring yourself.

It has a rubber carpet that can be used when tamping down fragile surfaces without damaging them.

Features

The handlebars are adjustable.

The speed can be adjusted via the handlebar lever

The handlebars can be folded down when not in use.

Testers feedback:

“The unit ran well. We have used it daily for the past 3 weeks. In that time it has performed good and run reliably. For the price it is a fair investment of your money, even if it is a lesser known brand.“

Easy lifting points – a front lift cage to make moving it around a breeze.

You can order an optional wheel kit

Easily fitted and removed Life lubricated vibration bearings – for peace of mind

Testers feedback:

“It’s got a larger water tank spray system that stops stuff sticking to the bottom (hot asphalt for example)”

It would be so easy to simply state “go out and buy a Belle and forget the rest”. We wouldn’t be wrong in that statement, however the downsides to owning a Belle compactor plate are the high price tags when purchasing. That’s why we went to these lengths to look at all wackers on the market.

It’s a little know fact, but we have it on good authority (and via testing of course) that the 3 most popular Belle compactor plates are this one the PCX 500 (a 500mm plate).. the PCX 450 (450mm plate) and the PCX 320 (a 320mm plate)… 3 of the best Belle wacker plates that money can buy. Being Belle, you get what you pay for.

Expect high 3 figures but for the money expect solid daily long term use without the drama.

So, this model is solid, robust and ultra reliable with a nice standfard plate size, oh and a reliable Honda engine too!

This is a 300mm wacker plate (12 inches width). Coupling it to the generous 2.8 horse power engine gives you a machine that starts up well (although we did have to let our unit run a few minutes from cold before using it for compacting)

It hasn’t failed to start up during the time we used it (for a pathway sub base).

Hyundai have been in existence since 1947 as an engineering and construction company before branching out into motoring and machinery. For their wacker plates they use a sole Uk based importer (Genpower Ltd), who trade as “Hyundai Power Equipment”.

Will achieve 25 metres per minute coverage (so extremely useful)

A sturdy 8mm steel plate compacts down to 200mm.

The reliable Hyundai engine works hard and works well.

Ideal for compacting sand, soil, small aggregates it is the perfect, cost-effective plate compactor for DIY projects, patio & block paving preparation, small driveway work and tarmac repair.

It can run at between 20 and 25 metres each minute and has an impact force of 1030kg and can compact up to 150mm depth. Tackle your sub base woes easily.

It’s not the hardest hitting compactor, and won’t be good for heavby duty items but for the vast majority of applications it is just fine.

Just note that 150mm is pretty much the depth of compaction, so you’ll be compacting in slightly thinner layers which is fine for most things (especially for DIY projects and professional projects that you can take that bit longer on), but if you’re using it for business and time is of the essence you need to get a more powerful machine.

“The unit is pleasant and easy to operate. We used it to compact both the sub base and sand down for our block paving and I have to say it performed exceedingly well. The electric model is fine for any DIY’er but remember the cable is about 10 metres long so if you’re off up to the end of your drive you will need a decent extension cable.. and a dry day :)”

Our thoughts:

As with any smaller machine that has less power there are some obvious “operator issues” to get around. For example if you are used to using high end £1000 Belle machines, you’d be used to getting jobs done quicker, compacting thicker stuff and dealing with bumps, however it is clearly better to rake off large bumps then proceed with your wacker plate.

For those smaller areas, this hand held mini wacker plate is just perfect. Packs a punch, takes up little room and does what is needed. The Ruttli 250W plate compactor is just the ticket.

Powered by electric motor.

The base plate on this machine is made using stable lacquered sheet steel.

Testers feedback:

“Small but mighty. We trialled this for 2 weeks for a pathway going from our front door, down the side of the house and to mary up to our patio at the back. No problems reported. Did what was needed. Compacted our hardcore, sand and then was made ready for the pavers.“